When a struggling quarterback says he wants to play "bigger", you'd be forgiven for thinking he means 'big time plays' or he's set to 'step up with big time plays'.
But in announcing he wants to play bigger, Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston was not admitting any issues with his performance, but literally meant he wants to grow in size.
"I'm going to play bigger this year," Winston said Saturday (March 23), per Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times: "I'm about 250 pounds. Yeah. A solid 250. It's just about hydration and being at the peak body, too."
Winston's weight suggests a 20 pound jump since last season. If he maintains it, he would become the heaviest quarterback in the league in 2019. The title was held last year by Cam Newton and Joe Flacco, who each weighed 245 pounds. They are one and two inches taller than him, respectively
Some added weight might be beneficial for an injury-prone quarterback, but Winston's only substantial injury came in 2017. A mid-season shoulder problem kept the signal caller out for three weeks but hasn't shown signs of being aggravated.
New head coach Bruce Arians seems comfortable with Winston adding some size -- as long as the added muscle doesn't compromise Winston's mobility.:
"Whatever he feels comfortable at without [adding] bad weight -- the stuff that will hurt [his] scrambling or mobility," Arians said: "It sure helps when they try to sack [him] though."
COVER PHOTO: Fox Sports
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